About Us

Krystyn LaBate, Phd
Founder, CACNA1H Alliance
Executive Director, CMCD Foundation

Krystyn LaBate, PhD, brings with her over 25 years of experience in the health care industry which includes work in psychiatry, geriatrics, neurology/CNS, and rare disease. Currently working as a Sr. Medical Science Liaison in the pharmaceutical industry, she has a strong background in drug development and clinical trials. She is a past Chairperson for the Saratoga County Early Intervention Coordinating Council, as well as a current member of several other community groups. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Siena College, a Master of Arts in Community Psychology from Sage Colleges, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Behavioral Medicine from Walden University.

Manoj Patel, PHD
Scientific Advisor

Manoj Patel, PhD is the Principal Investigator for the Manoj Patel Lab through the University of Virginia. He earned both a Bachelor of Science and a Doctor of Philosophy in Physiology from the University of Coventry in the United Kingdom. After completing his PhD, he continued his electrophysiology training as a postdoc at the University of Virginia, the University of Bristol, and finally, at the University of Cambridge. He returned to the University of Virginia in 2000, where he established his own independent research laboratory.

Over the past twenty years, his laboratory has focused on understanding the role of voltage-gated ion channels, particularly sodium (Na) and T-type calcium channels, in the development of epilepsy. Na and T-type calcium channels play a critical role in controlling neuronal excitability. His research has focused on understanding the importance of these ion channels in establishing and facilitating the neuronal hyper-excitability associated with epileptic seizures.